There have been a wide range of devices and mechanisms for sharpening the edge of knives and cutting tools both manual and power driven. A number of these have been the subject of patents by this inventor including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,627,194, 4,716,689, 4,807,399, 4,897,965, 6,113,476, and 6,012,971. These describe sharpeners capable of creating very sharp edges. The perfection and effectiveness of the final edge is in each case limited by the design of the final sharpening stage.